NEXT GENERATION CARDIAC TAMPONADE MODEL
SPRinT - Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, UK
This project was a continuation of the first cardiac tamponade model known as the “Harley Baby” that we made for SPRinT back in 2011 which was designed to simulate a post-surgical cardiothoracic bleed requiring the patient to be re-opened on the ward as part of an emergency team response, for the purposes of individual learning but mainly for shaving valuable seconds off the response time from the emergency team.
This ‘next generation high fidelity’ cardiac tamponade model was an entirely bespoke design made to tolerate rigorous chest compressions, have a retractable sternum that could be cut and re-wired for running repeat simulations, contain blood under pressure and continue to bleed once chest had been re-opened. It also included various cannulation sites for the purposes of administering drugs relevant to the procedure and an internal air system housed within the head to give realistic feedback whilst bagging the patient.
Following the completion and evaluation of this model Health Cuts Ltd later went on to work closely with SPRinT again to further develop and translate this design into a fully working prototype for a low-cost and mass-produceable cardiac skills training model.
